BASEBALL — In their penultimate conference road series of
the season, the Tritons looked just like the team that has climbed the rankings
to No. 12 in the past few weeks in three of the games, but was shutout in
another to finish the four-game series with three wins over Cal State
Stanislaus on April 4 through April 6. With the wins, UCSD is now 31-8 overall
and 15-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, good enough for
second place in the competitive conference.
In the series opener on April 4, senior first baseman Chris
Franco led the Tritons to a 9-6 win by going 3-for-5 with two home runs and six
RBIs. The win was UCSD’s eighth straight, but the streak was jeopardized as the
Tritons found themselves down
innings. However, a four-run fifth inning gave UCSD the lead and a two-run
ninth inning padded it before senior closer Keith Noe came in to pitch the
bottom of the ninth and earned the save, his eighth of the year, tying the
single-season school record.
“When Keith takes the mound at the end of the ballgame and
we have a lead, in all seriousness, everyone feels like we have a ‘W,’” head
coach Dan O’Brien said.
The first game of a doubleheader on April 5 did not go as
well, with the Tritons getting shut out on their way to ending a win streak and
suffering only their second road loss of the year. Warrior senior pitcher
Marquis Fleming went the distance and pitched a one-hit gem, walking only one
Triton while striking out nine.
On the other side, UCSD freshman Guido Knudson pitched well
but allowed two solo home runs in the third inning and was chased from the
mound in a disastrous eighth inning after surrendering an unearned run. UCSD
ended up allowing four unearned runs en route to the tough 7-0 loss.
UCSD bounced right back, however, in the nightcap with a 5-2
victory. The Tritons got a stellar performance from sophomore Matt Rossman, who
only went five innings but allowed only one earned run in that span and struck
out 11 Warriors. Rossman picked up the win to improve to 7-2 and Noe came in
and pitched 1.2 innings to claim the single-season saves record for himself
with his ninth of the year.
“It’s more important to me to know that we’re winning
games,” I’m getting the ball with the lead. It’s easy to pitch when you have a
lead and you only have to come in for one inning. I really wasn’t worried about
[the closer role]; I want to get a national championship. And if in the process
I’m getting saves and I’m doing what I’m supposed to do then that’s fine.”
After being called upon in back-to-back days, Noe got a
well-deserved rest as the Tritons had no need for their closer in a 13-2
blowout win in the series finale on April 6. The teams battled for three
scoreless innings before the Tritons struck in the fourth with 10 runs on eight
hits.
Thanks to his offense, junior starting pitcher Trevor Decker
had a cushion to work with and shined, not even allowing a hit until the fifth
inning. Decker stayed on the hill for seven innings and allowed only one run on
three hits and three walks. With his quality start, Decker picked up his fourth
win of the year and the 20th of his collegiate career, making him only the
seventh Triton in program history to reach the milestone.
“On paper we were playing the best team we’ve played all
year and that’s when Trevor’s at his best,” O’Brien said. “And I think that
says a lot about Trevor.”
Now sitting in second in their league, the Tritons will face
two CCAA rivals in two series at home over the next two weekends. UCSD will
take on No. 15
University before hosting first-place and second-ranked
State University for four games starting on April 18.
